Poinsettia plant named ‘Duemirage’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Poinsettia  plant named ‘Duemirage’, characterized by its inflorescences with inflorescences with dark pink-colored flower bracts; dark green-colored leaves; vigorous growth habit; uniform and rounded plant habit; early flowering; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical classification/cultivar denomination: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Duemirage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duemirage’.

The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars with uniform plant habit and attractive flower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia originated is a naturally occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number E-05-281, not patented. The cultivar Duemirage was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within a population of plants of the parent selection in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in January, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminal cuttings at Rheinberg, Germany since September, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duemirage’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duemirage’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Inflorescences with dark pink-colored flower bracts.     -   2. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   3. Vigorous growth habit.     -   4. Uniform and rounded plant habit.     -   5. Early flowering; response time, about eight weeks.     -   6. Excellent post-production longevity.

Compared to plants of the parent selection, plants of the new Poinsettia are larger, have darker green-colored flower bracts and differ in flower bract coloration.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Poinsettia cultivar Duejoker, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/859,522 filed concurrently. Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the cultivar Duejoker in flower bract coloration.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Elegance Pink, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Elegance Pink in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were taller than plants of the         cultivar Elegance Pink.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia were denser than plants of the         cultivar Elegance Pink.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia and the cultivar Elegance Pink         differed in flower bract coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a single flowering plant of ‘Duemirage’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and averaged measurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the winter under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and night temperatures about 22° C. and light levels about 4,500 lux. Single plants were grown in 13-cm pots and pinched once about five weeks after planting. Plants were flowered under natural season short day/long night conditions. Plants were about 16 weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photographs and the detailed botanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar     Duemirage. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary     selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number     E-05-218, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 9 days at 22° C.             Winter: About 13 days at 22° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—Summer: About three weeks at 22° C.             Winter. About four weeks at 22° C.         -   Root description.—Moderately thick, fibrous, fleshy and             white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded.         -   Growth habit.—Upright and uniform plant habit; vigorous.         -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 33.3 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: About five             to seven lateral branches develop after pinching. Length:             About 13.6 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode length: About             5 to 10 mm. Color: 137A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length:             About 9.9 cm. Width: About 6.7 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate with             irregular lobing. Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire with irregular lobing. Venation pattern: Pinnate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth.             Surface: Mostly flat. Color: Developing foliage, upper             surface: 137A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 137B.             Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 139A. Fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 137B. Venation, upper surface: 144A.             Venation, lower surface: 146B. Petiole: Length: About             5.4 cm. Diameter: About 2.4 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             183B to 183C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the             cyathia. Inflorescences are not fragrant. Inflorescences             persistent.         -   Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern             Hemisphere. Flower initiation and development is induced             under long nyctoperiod conditions. Response time, about             eight weeks.         -   Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia             maintain good substance and bract color for about eight             weeks under interior conditions and about twelve weeks under             greenhouse conditions.         -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—One per lateral             branch, about five to seven.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 21 cm. Height (depth):             About 3.3 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence:             About 16 to 22. Length, largest bracts: About 9.7 cm. Width,             largest bracts: About 4.8 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate with             irregular lobing. Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire with irregular lobing. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Glabrous, velvety. Surface: Mostly flat, slightly             rugose. Orientation: Mostly horizontal. Color: Developing             bracts, upper surface: 47B to 47C. Developing bracts, lower             surface: 47C. Fully developed bracts, upper surface: 47C to             47D; color becoming closer to 48B to 48C with development.             Fully developed bracts, lower surface: 48B. Venation, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 47A. Flower bract petiole:             Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About 2.6 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: 47A to 47B.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity of cyathia per corymb: About 15. Diameter             of cyathia cluster: About 3 cm. Length: About 5 mm.             Diameter: About 4.4 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color, immature and             mature: 144A to 144B. Peduncle: Length: About 4.2 mm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength/aspect: Strong, curved.             Color: 144A to 144B. Stamens: Quantity of stamens per             cyathium: About 39. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About             0.5 mm. Anther color: 187A. Amount of pollen: Moderate.             Pollen color: 14A. Pistils: Quantity of pistils per             cyathium: One. Pistil length: About 7.2 mm. Style length:             About 2 mm. Style color: 144D. Stigma color: 59A to 59B.             Ovary color: 144B. Nectaries: Quantity of nectaries per             cyathium: One. Length: About 3.8 mm. Color: 15B. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Poinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercial     conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures from 12 to 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Duemirage’, as illustrated and described. 